Prinsendam Grand Voyage around Africa 73 days....3/11/2008

[AWED23]

Who else is feverishly looking forward to this great cruise on our favorite Dam Ship ???...:D

[greatexpectations]

My wife and I are looking forward to joining you next year!

[AWED23]

My wife and I are looking forward to joining you next year!

....I see you are from Boston or there abouts...Any chance you are one of the "Early risers coffee club" ???...Have you sailed on Prinsendam before?....This voyage should truly be a "Grand" voyage....We are looking forward to it as we sailed on Prinsendam twice last year, once RT from Fort Lauderdale up the Amazon river in February[i think] and once RT from Amsterdam up the Norwegian coast and further North to Spitzbergen and then to Iceland....Both cruises were outstanding.....Rob.:D

[greatexpectations]

Rob,

Yes, I am an early riser; no, we have never sailed before on HAL. We have been on the Sapphire Princess to Alaska (surpassed our expectations) and the Queen Mary II to/from NY/Europe (disappointing – Cunard, that is, not Europe). We are looking forward to next year; the Prinsendam sounds wonderful and Africa, I am sure, will be amazing!

Chuck

[AWED23]

Chuck, You are in for a treat. We went on the QM2 for an eight day round trip to the Carribean out of NYC. I just wanted to try the big d..n thing. We were in a Queens' Grill suite and I must say that the dining experience was one of the very best we have had...better than Silver Seas etc.. But having said that I feel the rest of the "Cruise elements" were very inferior....I'll never go on another Cunard ship....Aboard Prinsendam you will find terry cloth hand towels in all public bathrooms, fresh flowers every where you go. A ship that even though it will be 20 years old is immaculate and gorgeous...I saw that you read the thread concerning the voyage around South America this past January/February...We had friends from here in Friday Harbor who were on it and they back up everything that Arrz reported in regards to the manner in which the crew rebounded....Enough for now.....rob.

[CruizAddict]

:) Greetings! We are also booked on the Prinsendam for this fantastic cruise! This is one of the best itineraries I've seen. Just sailed on the Westerdam from Fort Lauderdale to Rome April 1st. We were very impressed with HAL this time. That was our second cruise (with HAL), and it was ten times better than the Amsterdam in Alaska about four years ago.

Has anyone heard anything yet about visas, or is this way too early? I'm already worried about packing!

[AWED23]

:) Greetings! We are also booked on the Prinsendam for this fantastic cruise! This is one of the best itineraries I've seen. Just sailed on the Westerdam from Fort Lauderdale to Rome April 1st. We were very impressed with HAL this time. That was our second cruise (with HAL), and it was ten times better than the Amsterdam in Alaska about four years ago.

Has anyone heard anything yet about visas, or is this way too early? I'm already worried about packing!

..:cool: As we get closer the information will be forthcoming from our agents and HAL...We will need malaria meds but I have not bothered to check the CDC site as it is way too early...December/January is about right for the CDC to be current...I doubt we will need visas but that is a possibility...Are we slated for Libiya ??? Addict, if you read my profile you will see my age, location etc.... You may just call me Rob and we shall stay in touch...Where are you located and in what decade were you birthed ???..Never ask a lady her age etc....:D :D ...Have you been on Prinsendam before ???...This will be our 5th cruise on Prinsendam and I will admit that she is currently my overall favorite HAL ship...Rob.

[CruizAddict]

Greetings, Rob!

We are Kim and Darel from Southern California. We've never been on the Prisendam. This will be only our third HAL cruise, but about 28th cruise total. We also booked the September '08 on Prinsendam (the Black Sea Medley). Since you've been on her five times, you may know the answer to a question we've had. We're booked in the cheap seats, category M on Dolphin Deck (whatever deck the golf center is on). On the deck above there is open space, according to the deck plans. HAL tells us this is NOT a galley area, as no way do I want carts rolling over our heads all night. I've had that one happen before. They say part of it is storage for stewards' supplies, and they should not be utilizing them in the night. I am not 100 percent convinced. Do you happen to know what that is? Also, I looked at the State Department site, and visas are required many places we are going. However, maybe it is different going on a cruise, rather than as solo travellers. Libya isn't on this route.

We'll have to arrange for HAL to let us have a Cruise Critic get together when it gets closer to departure.

As far as decades go, lets say we'll surprise you with that one when we meet! Keep in touch...Kim

[AWED23]

Hi Kim.....Those blank areas that concern you are mostly crews quarters and various storage areas....Should not be a problem....If you are from So Cal you must know of my home town...Compton...My wife and I are graduates from Compton High School, class of 1950....Just a couple of years ago...She went to UCSBC [santa Barbara] and after college was a speech and language teacher in the Compton elementary system....I, on the other hand, went to a real school, USC, and flunked out after two glorious years !!!!!....But I am still a Trojan.....We can certainly meet aboard...One thing that is certain, Teddy and Rob will be in the Crows Nest with a bottle of Dom P for the sailaway on march 11.....From 5:00 PM untill 6:00 PM when we retire to table 11 in the starboard side dining room.....I am ready to go tomorrow!!!.....Rob:D

[CruizAddict]

Thanks for the information, Rob. If it is just storage and crew, than it should be okay. Yes, I know Compton. I think it has changed a lot since you were there. :) Normally we are unpacking during sailaway, but maybe for 73 days it can wait a few hours! I am wondering if I can possibly do with our usual one suitcase per person this time. Now that would be a feat. Did you already reserve your table with your agent or HAL? It sounds like you have, along with early seating. I thought we were anxious!! Guess what...March 11 will be here in nine months seven days. There will be so much to do in preparation, I predict it will go by very fast the last two or three months. Meanwhile, we have to daydream...it will be great to meet you and Teddy. K.

[AWED23]

Hi Kim....28 cruises and just now really getting into HAL....I really think that you will enjoy Prinsendam...We have not been on any of the Vista class ships but we have been on all the other Dam ships and as we have grown older we have come to appreciate longer cruises and the smaller size of the Prinsendam. How did you like North Africa on the Westerdam? What were the highlights for you?...We do book both our dining time and our table when we are sailing on HAL...It is just one of the benefits of having an agent who is married to the CEO of the line...though he is now retired after 20 years running HAL..He and I are both Scots...I see you will be aboard in September of 2008....We will be in the Black Sea this September on a 21 day cruise aboard the Regent Navigator. we really enjoy sailing with Regent and this cruise has a great itenerary beginning in Monaco on 9/8 and ending in Athens on 9/29...We are doing a river cruise with INTRAV beginning 6/29 and returning back to the islands on 7/22...And we are going to satisfy our curiosity about Oceania with a trans-canal in January of 2008 from Miami to Los Angeles...Other than that, things are dull up here in the San Juan Islands...Well, it is "Tourist Season" and I have my 2007 license with a bag limit of 2 per day....The hunting looks promising....:D :D More Gin !!!!:D :D

[stylin]

Who else is feverishly looking forward to this great cruise on our favorite Dam Ship ???...:D

We are also going on this wonderful cruise on one of our DAM ships! Trying to decide how to handle 73 days, any ideas?

[CruizAddict]

Hello!

I'm still trying to fathom this one myself. We have a lot of property management I do (ours) and a charitable business.....I find the only thing that helps is no procrastination and lots of organized lists. I am going to contact HAL about immunizations. My paperwork from the broker said I was responsible for figuring out visas - not HAL. I find that odd, but I'm going to find out now about that. Passports/visas are not easy to get - lots of backlog. :eek: That is how I feel if I think about it too much.

[AWED23]

We are also going on this wonderful cruise on one of our DAM ships! Trying to decide how to handle 73 days, any ideas?

If the Tanquarey and Bombay hold out I'll be OK.....rob:cool:

[Texas Navy]

Hi, We will be on the Africa cruise. We've spent about 200 days on the Prinsendam and love the ship. Being an older ship she has some challenges but the positives outweigh the negatives by a landslide. One of the things I like best is that she is actually very ship like. An uncommon trait these days. Served us very well during a storm in the Drake Passage earlier this year.

73 days is not a problem. Just handle it like 5 two-week cruises and you'll be fine!! :D

[CruizAddict]

Alas, we wish you all a wonderful journey. We had to cancel last week.

It is regrettable, but things happen for a reason, and we have peace about the decision. Enjoy!!!!!!

[mikemo]

We have reserved via "Travel with Alan" for the incredible 33/37/38 day event leaving 10 March from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Hope you saw that bargain yesterday!

M

[AWED23]

We have reserved via "Travel with Alan" for the incredible 33/37/38 day event leaving 10 March from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Hope you saw that bargain yesterday!

M

:confused: Can you explain 33/37/38 for me please?:confused:

[LabeYoung]

Ahoy Mateys! My wife, Edwina, and myself are now booked to join y'all for this voyage. Holland sent us a brochure last week that offered free air (similiar to the travelwithalan website) and we jumped at it. We have traveled on the Prinsendam once before and decided then that of all of our previous experiences with cruise ships, she was our favorite. We will monitor this website for a potential sail-away party and other get-togethers.

 

All the best!

 

Labe Young

[AWED23]

Ahoy Mateys! My wife, Edwina, and myself are now booked to join y'all for this voyage. Holland sent us a brochure last week that offered free air (similiar to the travelwithalan website) and we jumped at it. We have traveled on the Prinsendam once before and decided then that of all of our previous experiences with cruise ships, she was our favorite. We will monitor this website for a potential sail-away party and other get-togethers.

 

All the best!

 

Labe Young

:) I am glad to see that we will have a drug dealer aboard....Now if only someone knew how to make GIN !:D Rob

[mikemo]

awed23,

That's the way "Alan" described it: 33 days FLL-Cape Town, then several more there at local hotel with included tours/safari and the (long) flt from Cape Town to Seattle.

Anyone planning a land tour in Madeira? We found a local tour bus, but might prefer a 6 or 8 passenger van with guide.

Any advice re: land tours (ex: Cape Town which are included in our package) is greatly appreciated.

Mike y Louisa

[mikemo]

Rob/AWED23,

If you are referring to me, I'm sorry to disappoint, but my Texas Medical license has been retired nearly as long as I. Gave up California and Maryland decades ago.

Buen viaje.

M (MD: NBME; ABIM; ABNM; ABR)

[AWED23]

Rob/AWED23,

If you are referring to me, I'm sorry to disappoint, but my Texas Medical license has been retired nearly as long as I. Gave up California and Maryland decades ago.

Buen viaje.

M (MD: NBME; ABIM; ABNM; ABR)

Mike, I was referring to the retired pharmacist.....Rob. I see you live in Mexico. I will look forward to meeting you aboard as I have traveled all of latin America and "Chased" Marlin all over the West cost of Mexico. first fished Cabo San Lucas in 1967. Rob.

[gerena]

HI!

 

My husband and I booked last week, but are only taking the Capetown to Lisbon portion. That presented a problem with reservations; we too, had the free airfare, but that applied only to certain categories. We took the Prinsendam a few years back to the Canadian Maritimes. Our last cruise with HAL was January 2006 on the Rotterdam from Valparaiso-Antarctica-Rio. It was absolutely awesome.

 

We prefer to book our own onshore excursions, like we did in every port on the previous cruise. Saved so much money and they were awesome. I haven't had time to look into this as I am doing the last minute study for our river cruise from Bucharest to Budapest starting Oct. 3. If any one has ideas, let us know. Tours may not be as easy to come by as was on the SA cruise.

 

It is my understanding that HAL expects you to do the research on visas. In South America we were required to get one for Rio, and we were given no word from HAL as to how to do it. They give you the name of an expensive visa service. We did it on our own by contacting the Brazlian Embassy.

 

I, too, have checked that we will need several visas, however, some I think we can just get on the spot.

 

Let's keep this thread going to help each other out. It was wonderful when planning our South America trip which we thought would be our cruise of a lifetime. Now, look what is happening!!!

[mikemo]

Some Prinzendam travel updates -

1st disease stuff:

Turks and Caicos - Dengue - We use 3 M's Ultrathon (DEET).

All of Africa - Yellow Fever vaccination - many req only when arr from endemic areas, but Ghana and now Gambia and Senegal req same for entry.

Morocco - + IPV (polio booster recommended)

Senegal - YF req; with Cholera and Meningococcal Menigitis recommended.

We are Hep A and B immunized, but our YF and Td (tetanus/diptheria) are a few months out of date, so getting YF; Td; IPV (polio booster), but passing on Meningitis and Cholera.

2nd - Visas

Gambia - $16. at port of entry (for 24-72 hr), so we'll be there less time?

Ghana - req visa - prob need to get before departure??

Namibia and South Africa @ POE.

Buen viaje.

M